The Spooky Heroes: The Adventure Begins
by Mad Dr. Matt
Summary: Completed! Prepare for the ultimate crossover of Tim Burton's characters! The start of an adventure series set five years after the Beetlejuice cartoons.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: The Mad Doctor does not own Beetlejuice or the majority of the characters that will be used in this series of stories. They all belong to their respective companies.  
  
The Spooky Heroes  
  
The Adventure Begins  
  
By Mad Doctor Matt  
  
Based on characters created by Tim Burton  
  
Prologue  
  
Not a bit of sunshine entered the room. The room was pitch black as a witch's heart. The only single bit of light was coming from a giant computer screen. Sitting on a chair, looking at the readings of the screen was a tall, thin man dressed in a black lab coat. His skin was very pale as if he had not seen the light of day in years. He could almost be mistaken for a skeleton raised from the grave. He scratched his bald scalp with his bony finger in thought.  
  
Behind him, a hulking figure waited for him to respond. The figure's body was covered in a hooded, black cloak. His face was hidden in the darkness of the cloak. But two glowing red eyes shone like candles from the darkness. In his right hand, he carried a long scythe. He looked like the Grim Reaper himself.  
  
The figure spoke to the man in a scratchy voice. "Master, what is going on? You have been looking at the computer screen for hours," said the figure. The man rose from his chair and said, "With all the knowledge I programmed you with Mecha-Reaper, I'm surprised you still act like you don't know anything. Have you forgotten what we have been doing all these years?"  
  
"Sorry Master. But you haven't been like this before," said the figure who was now obviously named Mecha-Reaper. "Over the past five years, I have been monitoring disruptions in the planes of existence. I'm not sure what it means. But my guess is that someone or something from another plane of existence has been crossing over into our world from time to time. Back then; I didn't have the technology to track it. But now I am working on something that will enable me to find it and use it to my own purposes," said the man.  
  
"What do you think it is?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "I think that over the years, I have been tracking an ectoplasmic apparition. Or to put it into a term that your programming can understand, a ghost," said the man with a hint of excitement in his voice.  
  
"Once I have discovered where the apparition is, I'll send you to capture it. With the technology I have placed into you, you can actually harm a ghost and restrain it. Then I'll discover how to use its powers to cross over into the spirit world. And then I'll show the world that I was right the whole time. I had scientific evidence that ghosts exist. But they made a laughingstock of me and cut my funding. I'll show them. I'll show the whole world! Soon the world will hail the name of Dr. Gothic Grim," said the man.  
  
Then he laughed a horrible, maniacal laugh that echoed through the walls of the room. The world would be in danger if Dr. Grim had his way. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
It was a bright, sunny day over Sleepy Hollow College. It had just been the end of another school week and the students were just about to leave. In the room in which the photography lab was set up, the teacher was dismissing his students. To tell you the truth, he wasn't much older than some of his students. He was tall and not very handsome. He had black hair, wore glasses, and his voice was full of kindness and cheerfulness. His name was Dr. Matthew V. Notrub.  
  
"So students, please read chapter three on the anatomy of the camera. We will have a surprise quiz on Wednesday. Oops! Now I've spoiled the surprise," said Dr. Notrub. The students laughed. "Aw, what the heck. Just take the weekend off to work on your camera technique. In the meantime, I've got to look at your recent photo projects. Class dismissed," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
The students packed up their things and headed out the door. Just before the classroom was empty, Dr. Notrub called out, "Miss Deetz, may I have a word with you?" A very pale skinned girl with black hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in black on black stepped up to Dr. Notrub's desk.  
  
"Yes, Dr. Notrub? Is there something wrong with my work?" asked the girl. "No, there isn't anything wrong, Lydia. I just wanted to say that I'm very impressed with your work," said Dr. Notrub. Dr. Notrub reached into his bag and pulled out a black binder with white letters spelling out "Lydia Deetz".  
  
He opened it up. Inside, imposed on white sheets were pictures of various creepy-crawlies. Praying mantises devouring their mates, spiders attacking insects caught in their webs, maggots squirming through dirt; every one of Lydia's pictures showed some sort of horrible and disgusting image. Most teachers probably wouldn't understand that Lydia wasn't like other people. Ever since she was very young, she had always been interested in the macabre. She didn't have many friends. But she had a secret that no one was to learn. Dr. Notrub had become her favorite teacher since coming to the college.  
  
"These insect pictures are incredible! I've never seen such fantastic imagery," said Dr. Notrub. "Thank you, Dr. Notrub. Not many people back in my hometown of Peaceful Pines really understood my hobbies," said Lydia. "Well, don't give up on what you like. With this kind of talent, you could have great potential as an entomologist. How on earth did you find these insects in these great poses?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, I have this friend who has an eye for insects and arachnids. He helped me with this project. Although, I haven't had much time to see him lately. My roommates wouldn't understand him. That's why I've wanted to find a place of my own so we can do things together again. I've looked all over town. But I can't seem to find anything within my price range" said Lydia.  
  
"Well, I hope you do find a place. Why don't you check the bulletin board? I'm sure that there will be something that you can apply for. See you on Monday, Lydia," said Dr. Notrub. "Bye Dr. Notrub," said Lydia as she walked out of the photography lab.  
  
Dr. Notrub started to pack up his stuff. He was anxious to get home. Dr. Notrub wasn't what he seemed to be. "I think I'll be seeing you a lot sooner than Monday, Lydia Deetz," he said to himself. 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Lydia left the building where all the classrooms and laboratories were. She walked across the college grounds to the girls' dormitories. She was wondering if she would ever leave this dull building. The college had been around for over fifty years. But there was nothing creepy about it. So far, the only thing that fascinated her about this town was the legend of a headless ghost that committed several bloody murders near the beginning of the year 1800. But even though the college was situated near the Western Woods where the ghost was said to roam, she hadn't seen hide or hair of anything unusual.  
  
With a sigh, she strolled up to the bulletin board. She had looked over it several times in hopes of finding a place of her own. But they all had rental rates that were more than she could afford. But today, there was something new. There was a gray sheet of paper with text written in black letters. It said "Room For Rent. Low Rent. Apply within. 1313 Poe Lane."  
  
Lydia thought that the address of the house sounded really creepy. Of course, an address doesn't tell much about the house or the people who lived there. There wasn't a phone number listed. But after all, the notice did say apply within. Whoever had placed this notice up wanted people to see this place before they talked business. 'I'd better go see this place. But I better go with my best friend,' she thought.  
  
She left the dormitory and went around to the back of the college building. The back of the college faced the Western Woods. Lydia looked around to make sure no one was around to see what she was about to do. After seeing that no one was in sight, she said under her breath a rather peculiar incantation. "Though I know I should be wary, still I summon something scary. Ghostly haunting I turn loose. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice!" she recited.  
  
After Lydia said that strange word for the third time, a boom of thunder and a flash of lightning ripped across the sky. Lydia shielded her eyes from the blinding light. When she uncovered them, a strange male figure stood before her. He had ghostly white skin, pale green eyes, dirty blonde hair, rotten green teeth, red fingertips and was wearing a black and white striped suit.  
  
"Hey babes! How was school today? Did the doc like the photos you took of those bugs I found for you?" said the creature. "He sure did, Beetlejuice," said Lydia. "That was one school project I could really sink my teeth into. Once you were done photographing those morsels, I got to make a buffet out of them," said the creature as he produced a platter filled with bugs. One by one, he started to eat them.  
  
This was the secret Lydia had been keeping and her reason for wanting to find a place of her own. Over the years, she had been friends with a ghost named Beetlejuice. By reciting his name three times in a row, she allowed the ghost to enter into the real world (which is called the Outerworld) from the spirit world (which is called the Neitherworld). Beetlejuice was the only person who really understood her. But they hadn't visited the Neitherworld lately since Lydia didn't have a place of her own.  
  
"So Lyds, have you found a tomb with a view yet?" asked Beetlejuice. "Well, I just saw this new notice on the bulletin board of the dormitory. I thought we could check it out. I like the sound of the address 1313 Poe Lane," said Lydia. "Well, let's get going. If that place looks as creepy as it sounds, it will be perfect for living in. Let's hit the road, babes," said Beetlejuice. In a puff of smoke, Beetlejuice transformed himself into a black-and-white striped convertible. "Just climb in and leave the driving to me," said the convertible.  
  
Lydia laughed and opened the door and sat down in front of the steering wheel. "Now Beetlejuice, don't get too crazy. We don't want to get a ticket on the way," said Lydia. "Who said anything about staying on the ground? This creepy convertible takes to the skies!" said Beetlejuice. Lydia knew what he meant and quickly fastened her seatbelt. Suddenly, the car launched itself into the air. They were on their way to this mysterious house with a creepy address.  
  
High in the sky, Lydia checked a road map of Sleepy Hollow looking for Poe Lane. "It looks like Poe Lane is on the edge of town and number 1313 is on a hill," said Lydia. "Like that one?" said Beetlejuice as one of his arms shot out of the side of the car and pointed downward.  
  
Lydia looked over the side and saw a tall hill. There were no other houses near the hill. On top of the hill, shrouded in leafless trees was a house. But she couldn't get a good look at it from the air. "Beetlejuice, land this car and try to do it safely," said Lydia. "All right babes! But you better hold on tight because we're going to dive!" said Beetlejuice. The car suddenly pointed down and started to plummet down to earth.  
  
Lydia screamed, "Beetlejuice! Slow down! You may be dead. But I'm still alive!" The ground was getting a lot closer and soon the car would crash. But just before the car hit rock bottom, Beetlejuice transformed into a pillow and Lydia landed softly on him. "Did you think I didn't remember that? I may have a wicked sense of humor. But I'm a real softie" said Beetlejuice with a laugh. Lydia breathed a sigh of relief and got off Beetlejuice as he resumed his normal form.  
  
They had landed next to a wall of stone that was surrounding the hill. It wasn't a very tall wall. But along the wall, were various, creepy gargoyles. "Whoever owns this land has good taste," said Beetlejuice. "Let's look for an opening. The road is just ahead so there must be a driveway," said Lydia. The two of them walked along the wall.  
  
As they walked, they admired the various gargoyles. Each of them was different with various horns, wings, claws, and fangs. The artist who carved them certainly had a creative streak. As they passed by the gargoyles, Beetlejuice said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say those gargoyles' eyes were watching us." "Beetlejuice, we're not in the Neitherworld. Though I do admit, this place wouldn't look out of place there," said Lydia.  
  
They had soon come to the road and the turned right to see an opening in the wall. A long driveway led up the hill. On both sides of the road, the wall ended in two tall pedestals with a gargoyle on each of them. A bronze plaque showed the number 1313. "Looks like we've got some walking to do," said Lydia as she and her ghost friend started to walk up the long, winding driveway. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"Beetlejuice, you better disguise yourself as something before we get in sight of the house," said Lydia. "Easier done than said. I knew it was time to change," said Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice started to grow smaller until he had changed into a watch and strapped himself to Lydia's wrist. "Good one Beej," laughed Lydia.  
  
Lydia continued to walk along the driveway. On either side were a bunch of leafless trees. After rounding a bend, she finally saw the house. It looked like an old Victorian mansion. It was made of gray stone. Several windows were boarded up. More gargoyles decorated the roof of the mansion.  
  
"It looks like the only things that could live here are things that aren't alive anymore," said Beetlejuice. "Someone must live here. If it were a ghost who put that notice on the bulletin board, it would be impossible. Ghosts seldom leave their haunting spots," said Lydia. "Except for me. I'm a freelance ghost. I haunt where I want," said Beetlejuice. "That is so true. And I'm glad you can haunt where you want because my life would be so boring if you were confined to one haunting spot," said Lydia with a laugh.  
  
Lydia walked to the dark, ebony door. The door was carved with images of horrible monsters. Lydia located the doorbell button and pressed it. A terrified scream rang out the moment Lydia pressed the button. "Deadly vu!" she exclaimed. Then she noticed that the doorknob was turning. The door started to open. "Good afternoon. I'm Lydia Deetz and I'm here about the." stopped Lydia when she saw that no one was at the other side of the door.  
  
"Beetlejuice, I'm starting to believe your ghost theory," she whispered as she stepped inside. Once she was inside, the door slowly closed. Lydia gazed at her surroundings. She was in a grand hallway patterned in black and white. There were various statues of famous movie monsters. The walls were covered in framed horror movie posters. At the end of the hallway, there was a long winding stairway led upstairs. A downward staircase was right next to it.  
  
Then Lydia heard footsteps. They were coming from the stairway. The footsteps started to sound closer and closer. Then, walking up the downward stairs was a man. He was dressed in a white lab coat with black gloves and boots. His black hair was wild and he wore a small, pencil-thin moustache. His eyes gave a glimmer of madness behind his black glasses.  
  
"Are you hear about the room for rent?" he asked. "Yes, I am. I must say, your place is definitely my kind of place that I would want to live in," said Lydia who was a bit nervous. "I expected you would be the kind of person who would want to live here, Lydia," said the man. "Hey, how did you know my name?" asked Lydia. The man started to step forward. As he came closer, Lydia got a better look at him. He looked like the famous horror star, Vincent Price. But Vincent Price was long dead and yet, this man was almost an exact clone of him. She looked at the man and suddenly gasped in disbelief. "Dr. Notrub?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, it's me. Just for your information, this is how I make myself look in my off hours," said the man who was now beginning to sound like her favorite teacher. "I had no idea you were into horror stuff," said Lydia. "Being an eccentric, reclusive, incognito millionaire, I've become obsessed with horror stories and movies as well as the paranormal and the supernatural. You should see my library. It's full of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King and other horror writers. And my video collection has some of the best and worst horror movies of all time. But shall we discuss this room rental over a cup of tea?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Uh sure," said Lydia. Dr. Notrub led her into a corridor. But Lydia was little nervous. Sure, Dr. Notrub was her favorite teacher. But this was a side of him she never knew. At least Beetlejuice was with her.  
  
Later, Dr. Notrub and Lydia walked into the kitchen. Like the rest of the house, it was all patterned in black, white, and gray. A black cat was sleeping on the table. There was a whistling teapot on top of the stove. Lydia sat into a chair as Dr. Notrub strolled over to the cupboard and took out two teacups and two saucers. The cat suddenly woke up and screeched. It ran out of the room. "Don't mind Night Shade. She's just a little nervous around strangers. We don't get many visitors," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
Suddenly, the teapot floated off the stove. Lydia gasped. But Dr. Notrub nonchalantly grabbed the teapot out of mid-air and started to pour the tea into the teacups. "Cream and sugar, Lydia?" asked Dr. Notrub. "No thanks, Dr. Notrub," said Lydia. Dr. Notrub placed the teapot, saucers and cups on a tea tray and carried it to the table where he sat down in a chair.  
  
"Um, Dr. Notrub? Is this house haunted?" asked Lydia sounding as if she had been itching to ask that question. Dr. Notrub chuckled. "Oh Lydia, how I wish it was. Since I was very young, paranormal research has always been an interest of mine. When I made my large fortune, I bought this house. It had been abandoned for years. It had been my dream to live in a haunted house. But much to my disappointment, there wasn't a bit of supernatural activity. I was so disappointed that it wasn't haunted. I continued to live here with just Night Shade to keep me company. I still have a large fortune. But hardly anyone remembers me. I'm now just a photography teacher. In order to make myself feel better, I've used my inventions to rig this house with various special effects. For example, invisible wires reeled that floating teapot up. I simply took it off the transparent hooks. And the door is rigged to respond to the doorbell once in a while and open by itself. There are also projections of false ghosts and shadows throughout the house," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Fascinating. Now about the room for rent; how much are you asking?" asked Lydia. "To tell you the truth, Lydia, I'm not asking anything. You can stay in my mansion for as long as you want for free," replied Dr. Notrub. "You're serious? I can move in without any charge?" said Lydia sounding excited and looking at Beetlejuice's grinning watch face.  
  
"I've got plenty of millions of dollars to last. I only put that notice up in the bulletin boards throughout the campus because I wanted some company. Everyone in this town thinks this house is really haunted so they avoid it. The only people who come even near the gate of the house are the mailman and the paperboy. Once they finish their delivery, they run away in fear. It gets pretty lonely for a horror story obsessed person who has only a cat and his collection of horror stories and movies to keep him company. This house is too big for just me. The only thing I really want is some company. So the only question I have to ask is: how soon can you move in?" asked Dr. Notrub.  
  
"I can move out of the dormitory right now. My friend can help me," said Lydia. "This friend must be really close to you. Is he the same friend who found those excellent insects? I'd like to meet him. Would you like to see the room first?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Of course. I would love to see what your rooms are like," replied Lydia. "Follow me," said Dr. Notrub as he got up and headed for the door of the kitchen, opened it and exited. Lydia followed him. 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Later, Dr. Notrub was leading Lydia up the stairs toward the second floor. As they climbed the steps, they heard ghostly moaning coming from the top. "Do not worry, Lydia. That's just a sound effect. There are absolutely no ghosts in this mansion," assured Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Are you sure about that, doc?" asked Beetlejuice. Lydia quickly covered Beetlejuice's mouth. "Are you getting a cold, Lydia? You sounded terrible," said Dr. Notrub. "Um.I think so," said Lydia trying to sound gruff. She gave a dirty look at Beetlejuice who grinned sheepishly.  
  
They soon reached the second floor. It was like a long hotel floor with doors all along the side. It was covered with purple wallpaper that was dotted with gargoyle faces. "The bathrooms are the doors at either end of the hallway. You can look in every room until you find one you like. Keep in mind that there are little, haunting surprises in every room," said Dr. Notrub. "Don't you sleep in one of these rooms?" asked Lydia. "Nah, I sleep in my laboratory basement. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my research that I get so tired to climb the stairs. So I moved a bed downstairs and that's where I sleep. I'll leave you to find a room. I have something in the lab brewing up. If you don't find a good one on this floor, there's always the third floor," said Dr. Notrub as he headed downstairs.  
  
As soon as he was out of sight, Beetlejuice detached himself from Lydia's wrist and changed into his normal form. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's almost like you, Lydia," said Beetlejuice. "He certainly is. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to meet you. But let's check out the rooms now," said Lydia. "You go right. I'll go left," said Beetlejuice as he floated to the left. Lydia walked to the right.  
  
They started to explore the rooms. As they walked down the hallway, Dr. Notrub's haunting effects started to activate. A suit of armor raised its sword. Ghastly shrieks and moans emitted throughout the hallway. But they didn't mind. They both admired Dr. Notrub's creativeness. After taking a look in each room, Lydia called to Beetlejuice. "I think I've found the perfect room," she said as Beetlejuice floated down to her.  
  
She opened the door of the room she had chosen and they stepped inside. There was a black, four-poster bed up against the wall as well as a black wardrobe. A vanity mirror was also in the room. In the corner, a rocking chair rocked by itself. "With the exception of the rocking chair, this room isn't very different from your room back at your parents' house," said Beetlejuice as he floated to the rocking chair. He saw that the rocking chair was attached to metal rod that was rocking it via a mechanical apparatus under the room. "Could he have made it any more obvious?" asked Beetlejuice.  
  
Lydia stepped to the vanity mirror. Suddenly, her reflection was replaced by the image of a ghastly face with its mouth open screaming in fear. The image lasted for only a moment and then vanished with Lydia's image returning. "Just what we needed. You always like to pass between our worlds through a mirror," she said as she adjusted her gravity-defying ponytail.  
  
"Hey Lyds! Check out how the doc rigged this wardrobe," said Beetlejuice as he opened the wardrobe. It was empty. Beetlejuice then closed the door and then opened it again. This time, a human skeleton dangled from a rope around its neck. Beetlejuice closed the door and opened it again. The wardrobe was empty. "This house, aside from the Roadhouse, is a dream house. Or to be more fitting, a nightmare house. You'd be out of your mind to turn down an offer like this," said Beetlejuice as the top half of his head flipped open like a lid and his brain launched out on a spring. Lydia giggled.  
  
"I'll go tell Dr. Notrub that this mansion is perfect. Then we'll go and get my stuff from the dormitory at the college," said Lydia. Beetlejuice's brain lowered back into his head and he changed into a mover's outfit. "For all your moving needs, call Beetleman movers, the best moving service in the Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Since when did you become a mover?" asked Lydia for she knew that Beetlejuice had never worked in his entire afterlife. "Since I heard you were moving into this mansion," said Beetlejuice with a hearty laugh.  
  
Then they heard Dr. Notrub's voice call, "Lydia, did you find a room yet?" "Hide!" exclaimed Lydia. Beetlejuice quickly opened the wardrobe and hid inside just as Dr. Notrub opened the door. "Ah! You have made an excellent choice, Lydia. Although, I would personally choose the room with the levitating bed. Are you going to go get your stuff from the college dormitory?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes, I was just on my way," said Lydia. "Give notice that you've moved out at the office. Dinner will be at six and then I have some work to do in my lab. You'll be on your own for the rest of tonight. See you at dinner," said Dr. Notrub as he left.  
  
As soon as he shut the door, Lydia opened the wardrobe and found Beetlejuice hanging by his neck on a rope beside the skeleton. "Looks like we can hang around together in the Neitherworld tonight, babes. I've got a surprise for you. I got tickets to a concert starring the Rolling Kidney Stones," said Beetlejuice as he floated out of the wardrobe. "My favorite Neitherworld rock band! You didn't get them off a scalper like you did the last concert, did you?" said Lydia. "Nah. I remember what happened last time. It took a lot of money to get my scalp back," said Beetlejuice as the top half of his head vanished for a second and reappeared. "Let's go to the dormitory and get your stuff," he said as they exited the room and headed for the stairs.  
  
Meanwhile, far away from 1313 Poe Lane, in the pitch-blackness of Dr. Gothic Grim's secret laboratory, Dr. Grim looked eagerly at his computer screen. "Yes! It happened again. That entity has made another transdimensional crossover and this time, I've pinpointed the location," he said as he scrolled down his computer screen to a map. His maniacal grin got even wider. "How convenient. The point of the crossover is located in the nearby town of Sleepy Hollow. At last, my dream of global domination will be realized. Mecha-Reaper!" he yelled.  
  
Out of the shadows, Mecha-Reaper stepped with his red eyes glowing in the darkness of his cloak. "Yes, Master?" he asked. "I have a job for you. I want you to go to Sleepy Hollow. The tracking device in your system will enable you to detect the presence of ectoplasmic entities. When you find it, capture it and bring it to me," said Dr. Grim.  
  
"Your wish is my command. Finally, I get to test my abilities. For you designed me to be the ultimate ghost hunter," said Mecha-Reaper as he stepped into a doorway. "Do not let me down Mecha-Reaper or you're heading for the scrap heap," said Dr. Grim.  
  
Automatic doors slid shut in front of Mecha-Reaper. He had stepped into an elevator and it started to rise up. Soon, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. There was a wooden door in front. Mecha-Reaper extended his hand, turned the knob, and opened the door. He stepped outside. Behind him was an old broken-down shack that Dr. Grim had used to disguise the entrance to his underground lair. Mecha-Reaper shut the door behind him. Suddenly, bat wings sprouted out of his back and the sound of an engine starting was heard. Underneath Mecha-Reaper's cloak was a jetpack that he used to fly. Mecha-Reaper, scythe in hand, took off into the air in the direction of Sleepy Hollow.  
  
Author's Note: A little factoid about Dr. Notrub. I based him on the character of Vincent from Tim Burton's first film Vincent. Notrub is also Burton spelled backwards. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
In Dr. Notrub's kitchen, the doctor was washing the dishes. "I'm glad you enjoyed dinner, Lydia. I haven't had a dinner guest for a long time," said Dr. Notrub. Lydia was washing off the table. "That was great chicken, Dr. Notrub. Not only do you have great taste for horror, you're a great cook," complimented Lydia. "I just hope that chicken whom we have eaten doesn't come back as a poultry-geist and haunt us," said Dr. Notrub with a chuckle. Lydia joined in the laughing.  
  
"How did your roommates react to your moving out?" asked Dr. Notrub. "They didn't give a hoot. They were just glad that the 'Witch Woman' was leaving," said Lydia. "You don't seem to be too concerned about their comments," said Dr. Notrub. "I'm used to it. Nobody at my past schools ever really understood me," said Lydia. "Don't let that get you down, Lydia. No matter what, be who you are. Well, I'm going to my lab. You said you were going out for the night so I'll see you tomorrow. The door will be unlocked when you get back. No one ever comes up to this house so I don't worry about burglars," said Dr. Notrub as he put the dishes away and headed out of the kitchen. Lydia exited the kitchen as well.  
  
In the main foyer, Dr. Notrub headed downstairs to his lab while Lydia walked upstairs to her room. When she opened the door, Beetlejuice was floating in mid-air and chomping on some beetles. "Ready to go, Lyds?" he asked. "Sure am, Beej. But I think we'd better go out the front door so Dr. Notrub won't suspect anything," said Lydia. "Good idea," said Beetlejuice as they left Lydia's room and headed down the stairs.  
  
From the basement, they heard Dr. Notrub singing an old rock song 'Monster Mash'. "Guess he likes to sing to a karaoke machine when he works," said Lydia. "He doesn't have bad taste in music either," said Beetlejuice. They continued toward the front door, which then opened on its own. They stepped outside into the fading light of the sun as it set. "Say the B-word three times babes, and we're on our way to the concert," said Beetlejuice with a grin. Lydia nodded and uttered, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" In a flash of light, they both vanished.  
  
At the exact moment that they had left, Mecha-Reaper came falling out of the sky and slammed down his scythe. The blade embedded itself in the exact spot where Beetlejuice had been standing. Mecha-Reaper growled in frustration and pulled it out. Then he said, "Mecha-Reaper to Master. Come in, Master."  
  
Dr. Grim's voice came out of Mecha-Reaper's body. "What is it? Did you capture the ghost?" he asked. "I almost did, Master. But it vanished along with a human girl," said Mecha-Reaper. "Incredible. Not only can it cross over into our world, but it can also take living people along for the ride. This fits exactly into my plans," said Dr. Grim.  
  
"The girl called it Beetlejuice," said Mecha-Reaper. "Well, stick around that place. They might come back and when they do, extend an invitation to Mr. Beetlejuice. You know what I mean, do you?" asked Dr. Grim with an evil chuckle. "Yes, I do," said Mecha-Reaper who laughed too as he rose into the air on his jetpack and landed on the roof.  
  
There he squatted down and assumed a pose similar to the numerous gargoyles on the roof of the mansion. He had assumed a vigil and waited for the ghost and the girl to come back. 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
A few hours later, Beetlejuice and Lydia reappeared in Lydia's bedroom. "What a great concert! The Stones really brought the house down," said Beetlejuice. "Yeah. But I'm glad no one was hurt when the roof caved in," said Lydia with a yawn. Beetlejuice yawned as well.  
  
"Well, I'd better be going home," he said. "You look pretty tired, Beetlejuice. Maybe you should spend the night here," said Lydia as she went to a drawer in the vanity and took out a black nightgown. "Please turn away while I change, Beetlejuice," she asked turning around.  
  
Beetlejuice was already floating in mid-air with his body covered with a beetle-patterned blanket. His head was rested on a pillow and he was sound asleep. Lydia chuckled quietly as she undressed herself and put on her nightgown.  
  
As she walked past the sleeping ghost, she gave him a little kiss on the cheek. Beetlejuice's lips curled into a smile, but he continued to sleep. "Pleasant screams, Beetlejuice," said Lydia as she climbed into her bed and soon fell fast asleep.  
  
At the same time, Mecha-Reaper was crawling headfirst like a spider toward the window of Lydia's room. He had heard everything. "Oh the screaming is just about to begin, girl," he chuckled as he lifted up the window and slunk inside.  
  
He looked at the sleeping girl on her bed. 'How unfortunate for that human girl. She'll be losing her best friend tonight,' he thought. Then made a move toward the sleeping ghost. 'Like shooting fish in a barrel,' he thought as he raised his scythe. It was designed with special technology that could shock and harm a ghost when it came into contact with the blade.  
  
Beetlejuice tossed and turned in his sleep. He tilted his head up and his eyelids opened. He could see the blur of the hulking, hooded figure raising his scythe. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide and he shrieked just as the scythe came hurtling down. Beetlejuice floated out of the way. "Who the heck are you?" asked Beetlejuice in a panic. "I am simply someone who has come to pose an invitation to you, Mr. Beetlejuice. My master wishes to meet you," said Mecha-Reaper as he swung his scythe at Beetlejuice again. Beetlejuice dodged the sharp blade again.  
  
"Well, here's my message for your master!" yelled Beetlejuice as he threw a punch. His arm stretched toward Mecha-Reaper and slugged him in the chest. But to Beetlejuice's surprise, Mecha-Reaper was still on his feet and unfazed. "What kind of creature are you?" asked Beetlejuice. "That is none of your business, ghost. Now come with me!" demanded Mecha- Reaper. "Never!" yelled Beetlejuice defiantly. "Then maybe I'll act like my namesake and reap the life from your friend," said Mecha-Reaper.  
  
Then he turned to Lydia and raised his scythe. "Lydia! No!" yelled Beetlejuice as he quickly floated over Lydia. "Beetlejuice?" asked Lydia sleepily as she rose from her sleep. Then she saw Mecha-Reaper and screamed. But she screamed even more loudly when Beetlejuice floated between her and the scythe. The scythe embedded itself in Beetlejuice's back and sent out shock pulses throughout his body. Beetlejuice screamed in pain.  
  
Lydia rolled off the bed as Mecha-Reaper pulled his scythe out. Beetlejuice fell limp onto the bed. "Beej?" asked Lydia. She hoped he was okay. "Do not waste your concern on him. He is dead so there is no possible way I could have killed him again," said Mecha-Reaper. "You're a monster to have done this to Beetlejuice. Why did you do this to him?" asked Lydia with a mix of anger and fear in her tone. "I am the servant of the future ruler of the world, Dr. Gothic Grim. And this ghost is the key factor in my master's plan," stated Mecha-Reaper as he raised his free hand.  
  
From under his cloak, a long metal tube coiled out and snaked over to the unconscious Beetlejuice. A strange white light emitted from the end of the tube and Beetlejuice floated toward it. It was some kind of tractor beam. Once Beetlejuice had made contact with the end of the tube, he was sucked into it. Lydia gazed in horror at the horrific thing this figure was doing to her best friend. The tube coiled back under the cloak. "You're some kind of machine!" she exclaimed. "Exactly and don't think your friend will be able to escape. My systems can restrain any ghost so don't expect to see your friend again," said Mecha-Reaper as he climbed out of the window and thrust himself into the air.  
  
Lydia ran to the window to see the mysterious figure fly off into the night with her best friend. "Beetlejuice!" she yelled as tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't lose Beetlejuice. He meant a lot to her. She needed to get help. But who could? 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Lydia quickly ran downstairs to the basement. In the basement, she saw various machinery and computer screens. In a corner was a black four- poster bed and sprawled on it was Dr. Notrub still dressed in his Vincent Price getup. She ran over to the side and shook Dr. Notrub yelling, "Dr. Notrub! Wake up! Please!" "Huh? What?" said Dr. Notrub as he slowly awakened and reached for his glasses on a nightstand and put them on.  
  
"Oh Lydia. What's the matter? Is something wrong?" he asked. Lydia was frantic and her words were incomprehensible. "Take a deep breath and calm down," advised Dr. Notrub. Lydia inhaled and exhaled. Then she started to talk.  
  
"I don't expect you to believe me, Dr. Notrub. But you're the only one I could come to. My friend was just kidnapped," she said. "Oh my! Then we should call the police. We must report it," said Dr. Notrub as he got up and headed for a nearby telephone. "No, Dr. Notrub. The police can't help because." Lydia stopped because she started to hesitate to tell the doctor. "Because what?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He's.. he's a ghost," said Lydia with some reluctance in her voice.  
  
"A ghost?" asked Dr. Notrub staring at her in surprise. "I knew you wouldn't believe me," said Lydia. "No wait. Lydia, are you saying you've actually encountered and become friends with a ghost? And he was here in my mansion?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, yes," said Lydia.  
  
Dr. Notrub immediately ran past her and into the laboratory area. He ran to a box and started rummaging through it. He threw several mechanical devices out until he took out something that looked like a cross between a calculator and a tennis racket. He rushed to the stairs. Lydia ran after him.  
  
Dr. Notrub burst into Lydia's room and started to scan the room with his device. "Dr. Notrub, this is no time for your experiments!" yelled Lydia angrily. The device started to beep as Dr. Notrub looked at a small screen. "Yes! My psychokinetic energy reader has detected traces of an otherworldly being. There was a ghost in here!" shrieked Dr. Notrub with rapture. "Yes, Dr. Notrub. I'm glad you believe me," said Lydia.  
  
"Now Lydia, you said this ghost friend of yours was kidnapped," said Dr. Notrub now paying full attention. "Yes. His name is Beetlejuice and he's been my best friend for years," said Lydia. "I see. And am I the only other human being you've told?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes. I've never told anyone else until now," said Lydia.  
  
"What did this kidnapper look like? Was it another supernatural being?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, it looked like the Grim Reaper. But it wasn't supernatural. It was actually some sort of robot. He said that Beetlejuice was the key factor in the global domination plans of someone named Dr. Gothic Grim," said Lydia.  
  
Dr. Notrub's eyes opened in horror. "Dr. Gothic Grim? Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed in a tone of horror. "You've heard of him?" asked Lydia. "If it is Dr. Gothic Grim, then we might be in trouble. Get dressed Lydia and meet me out back. We're going to save your friend Beetlejuice. I'll get the necessary equipment," said Dr. Notrub as he ran through the door.  
  
"Wait! I don't understand!" cried Lydia as she watched Dr. Notrub run down the hall. It seemed that Dr. Notrub knew something more about what was going on than she did. Lydia decided to trust Dr. Notrub and started to get dressed.  
  
Later, fully dressed, Lydia made her way to the back of the mansion. She saw Dr. Notrub was loading various pieces of machinery into the back of a black hearse. "Get in, Lydia. I'll explain on the way. It is important that we save your friend because if Dr. Grim is going to do what I think he's going to do, the entire spirit world and living world are both in danger," said Dr. Notrub urgently.  
  
"But how will we find out where Beetlejuice is?" asked Lydia as she got into the front passenger seat. Inside, the dashboard had all kinds of meters and computer screens. Clearly, Dr. Notrub had made some improvements on this hearse. Dr. Notrub got in and placed a computer disk into a disk drive. A radar screen popped up on one of the computer screen.  
  
"Using the psychokinetic energy reading I scanned from your room, we'll be able to track Beetlejuice wherever he is in the world. Take a look," said Dr. Notrub pointing to a little moving dot on the radar. "That's Beetlejuice's energy being picked up. Obviously, the mysterious mechanical kidnapper is still on the move. Let's go," he said turning the ignition key and stepping on the gas pedal. He drove the hearse around the house and down the driveway. Lydia didn't know how Dr. Notrub was going to help her save Beetlejuice. But she hoped he knew what he was doing. 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Meanwhile, in the darkened lair of Dr. Grim, he looked up as he heard the elevator descend down. He rushed to it just as the automatic doors slid open revealing Mecha-Reaper. "Did you manage to capture it?" he asked. "Mission accomplished," replied Mecha-Reaper. "Oh yes! Put it in the capsule," ordered Dr. Grim.  
  
Mecha-Reaper strolled over to a large, glass capsule that was glowing green. The base of the capsule had a control panel. Mecha-Reaper raised his arm and the metal tube coiled out. The end of it connected with a circular hole on the control panel. Then the tube stiffened up as Mecha- Reaper pushed out his contents. The still unconscious Beetlejuice appeared in the capsule.  
  
"Are you going to begin the procedure now?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "Not just yet. I want to talk to him first," said Dr. Grim. The evil doctor approached the control panel and pushed a lever. "Wakey wakey," he chuckled evilly. Blue electric bolts surged throughout the capsule awakening Beetlejuice. He yelped in pain as blue energy ropes looped around his arms and legs. Dr. Grim pulled the lever back and smiled his horrible smile.  
  
"Whoa, what a shocking experience. Where am I?" said Beetlejuice groggily looking around. Then his eyes met with Dr. Grim's evil gaze. "Who're you and what do you want?" he asked angrily but still weak. "You're an interesting specimen, Mr. Beetlejuice. Not at all what I expected you to be like," said Dr. Grim.  
  
"So you're the one who sent that Grim Reaper look-alike to capture me," said Beetlejuice. "My name is Dr. Gothic Grim. And you're going to help me take over the world," said Dr. Grim. "I'll never be a part of your evil schemes. I won't use my powers to harm the living. A few pranks maybe, but I don't harm the living," stated Beetlejuice firmly. Dr. Grim laughed evilly and said, "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, Mr. Beetlejuice. I would recommend that you refrain from using your powers. If you even attempt to disappear, you will get a shock more painful than when Mecha-Reaper hit you with his scythe. We will begin the dissection process soon," said Dr. Grim as he pushed several buttons in a sequence.  
  
"Dissection? What are you talking about?" asked Beetlejuice with panic in his voice. "Mecha-Reaper has informed me that you have given a girl the power to enter into your world by reciting your name three times in a row," said Dr. Grim. "No way I'm giving the power to you," said Beetlejuice defiantly. "I figured you wouldn't. That's why I'm going to use my apparatus and drain your ectoplasmic energy and with it, your powers into this generator," said Dr. Grim pointing to a device that looked like a glass orb embedded in a gray metal box. "What?" exclaimed Beetlejuice. "By using this generator, I can manipulate your powers into doing whatever I want. Even use them to bring me to your world," stated Dr. Grim as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.  
  
"Why do you want to go to the Neitherworld?" demanded Beetlejuice. "Neitherworld is it? Well, I plan to use my ghost hunting apparatus to capture every resident of your world and bring them back here. Once I find a way to control them, I will have an invincible army at my disposal to march forth and take over the world!" exclaimed Dr. Grim. "You'll never get away with it, Dr. Grim!" yelled Beetlejuice. "Oh that phrase has been used so many times. But I believe I will, Mr. Beetlejuice," said Dr. Grim.  
  
Then the evil doctor pressed a button. A mechanical arm with a needlelike structure on it rose from the bottom of the capsule and inserted itself into Beetlejuice's back. Dr. Grim then pulled a lever and the process began. Beetlejuice yelped and yowled in pain as the machine started sucking. Dr. Grim looked down at a glass tube on the floor leading from the capsule to his generator. Black and white colored light surged through it and into the glass orb. The orb started to glow with the black and white light. "Oh yes. Yes!" exclaimed Dr. Grim with anticipation. Soon he would have the energy needed to fulfill his horrible plan.  
  
Meanwhile, on the road leading from Sleepy Hollow, the headlights of Dr. Notrub's hearse pierced through the dark of the night. "We're getting close to where Beetlejuice is, Lydia. I only hope we're not too late," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Who is this Dr. Grim? And what do you think he plans to do with Beetlejuice?" asked Lydia. "So much to explain and so little time. You see Lydia, Dr. Gothic Grim was one of New York City's leading paranormal researchers. He taught paranormal research at the university. He even came up with scientific evidence that ghosts exist. But the board of directors cut his funding when they dismissed his work as fake and unscientific. He vanished from the university and was never heard from again," stated Dr. Notrub.  
  
"If he was a quack, then how was he able to design a robot that could capture ghosts?" asked Lydia. "It's not that he actually was a quack. It was what he proposed to do to the ghosts if they funded his research. He was planning to do horrible things like dissect and enslave them. They couldn't let him do these inhumane things. After all, ghosts are people too. Well, they were people," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"How do you know all this?" asked Lydia. "Because my father was on the board of directors who dismissed Dr. Grim. It was for the good of our world and the spirit world or Neitherworld as you told me it is called. But if Beetlejuice is as powerful as you say he is, then we must rescue him before Dr. Grim can put his plan into action whatever it is. We're here," said Dr. Notrub as he stepped on the brakes.  
  
They both got out of the hearse. In front of them was a hill that wasn't as large as Dr. Notrub's hill. Leafless trees dotted it. "I can detect Beetlejuice's energy coming from within this hill. There must be some kind of underground lair. But where could the entrance be?" asked Dr. Notrub as he scanned the area with his psychokinetic energy reader. "What about that building up there?" asked Lydia pointing upwards. Sitting on the top of the hill, was an old, rundown shack. "If Dr. Grim is as clever as he is insane, it would be worth a look. Let me get the equipment out of the hearse," said Dr. Notrub as he rushed to the back of the hearse and opened it.  
  
He reached in and pulled out a small pistol-like object, which he tossed to Lydia. Lydia flinched at the sight of the object and held it at arm's length. "Don't worry, Lydia. It's not a deadly weapon. It's my own invention that I call the F.I.R. or Fear Inducing Ray. It's a special kind of beam weapon that stimulates fear in living or dead beings. If I had ever encountered a very malevolent ghost, I would have used it to spook the spook. It'll also cause major circuitry damage if used on a mechanical object. However, it hasn't been fully tested. Well, no time like the present to test it," stated Dr. Notrub as he pulled out a gray, metallic suitcase and another one of his F.I.R. pistols.  
  
They rushed up the hill towards the shack. Then Dr. Notrub stopped and held back Lydia. "We shouldn't be rushing into this. As inconspicuous as this seems, there might be a security system. I'll go first," said Dr. Notrub as he slowly walked toward the door of the shack. He watched the ground to make sure there weren't any tripwires. Until at last, he reached the door. "It's okay, Lydia. Come on over," he called.  
  
Lydia ran over to the door just as Dr. Notrub opened it revealing metal elevator doors. "Bingo," said Dr. Notrub. "How will we get in?" asked Lydia. Dr. Notrub looked to the right of the elevator doors and found a small compartment. He opened it and it revealed a circuit board. "I might be able to hotwire this thing to get it open. It might take a few minutes," said Dr. Notrub as he opened the suitcase and took out some tools. "Just hurry, doctor. Who knows what that horrible doctor is doing to Beetlejuice," said Lydia with panic. She hoped that they could rescue him.  
  
At the same time, down in Dr. Grim's lair, Mecha-Reaper strode up to his master. "Master, there are intruders at the entrance. I saw them on the security monitors," he droned. "What did they look like?" asked Dr. Grim. "It's that girl who was with the ghost. She's here with a man. They might be trying to rescue the ghost. Should I take care of them?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "By the time they even come close to operating the elevator, we will be long gone. Besides, the process is complete," said Dr. Grim as he stepped forward and pushed a lever. Then he looked up into the capsule and smiled.  
  
Beetlejuice was crumpled on the bottom of the capsule. He didn't look at all the way he used to. His blonde hair was now as white as his skin. His skin was all wrinkled and his body was as thin and frail as a skeleton. He was practically see-through. "Feeling a little drained, Mr. Beetlejuice? I thought you would be. I don't think you'll last much longer without your powers. But we can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs can we?" laughed Dr. Grim. Beetlejuice used what little strength he had to look up at Dr. Grim and give him a look of anger.  
  
"Mecha-Reaper, load the generator onto U.G.C.V. and activate the Zombots. We're going to the Neitherworld to build our army," said Dr. Grim with anticipation. Mecha-Reaper walked over to the generator, which was now glowing with the black and white light. On the way, he punched a red button.  
  
Then, from the other side of the lair, a series of high-pitched giggles was heard. Suddenly, a bunch of metallic footsteps were heard as the most horrible looking robots hobbled out of the darkness. They were all black and they looked like skeletons that had been fixed together with mechanical parts. Beetlejuice gazed in horror at these horrible creations. Dr. Grim smiled at Beetlejuice's expression.  
  
"Yes, they're not quite the ideal army. Mecha-Reaper is a far better creation from these things. But they are very durable. Even though they're fragile, they can repair themselves. I've hidden special devices in their parts that send out signals to each part and they reattach themselves. They are also equipped with the same ghost harming technology I placed into Mecha-Reaper's scythe. They'll help me capture every ghost and whatever else is in this Neitherworld of yours," stated Dr. Grim.  
  
He then strolled over to a hat rack, took a tall, black hat from it, and placed it on his bald scalp. He also took a black opera cape and attached it to his neck. Then he picked up a walking stick and faced Beetlejuice. "Time to go. Farewell, Mr. Beetlejuice. I'll see you again if you're still here when I'm through plundering your world," said Dr. Grim. Then he walked away from the capsule. Beetlejuice used what strength he had and turned to look in the direction Dr. Grim was going.  
  
There he saw a large machine. The front was composed of a ramp-like structure attached to a platform with a console of controls. The generator containing Beetlejuice's power was embedded in the center of the control console. Beetlejuice could make out that the ramp-like structure had a groove down the center meaning that it could open like elevator doors. The rear of the machine was mainly composed of a large, cubic box in which the Zombots were climbing into it through a hole in the top. The machine, the Ultimate Ghost Catching Vehicle, was set on tank treads. Dr. Grim climbed into the vehicle behind the control console with Mecha-Reaper behind him. Dr. Grim pressed a button on the control console and the generator glowed even brighter. The entire vehicle was surrounded by the glow.  
  
"The password to the Neitherworld is our friend's name said three times in a row, Mecha-Reaper. Let's see if it will work for us and transport this fine machine of ours there. This is the moment I've been waiting for so it had better work. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" yelled Dr. Grim. At the exact moment Dr. Grim had said the B-word for the third time, the vehicle vanished in a flash of light with Dr. Grim, Mecha- Reaper and their army of Zombots.  
  
'I have to do something. But how can I without my powers?' thought Beetlejuice. Then he heard the elevator move downward. He slowly turned around and watched as the elevator doors slowly opened. 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"Beetlejuice!" yelled a familiar voice. "Lydia?" asked Beetlejuice weakly. Lydia rushed toward the capsule and looked at her ghost friend.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Beetlejuice. What has that mad man done to you?" asked Lydia as she looked at his weakened body. "He drained me of my powers. I don't know how much longer I can last. I think I'm as good as exorcised," said Beetlejuice struggling to talk. "No. You can't leave me. Dr. Notrub?" Lydia asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
Dr. Notrub strolled over to the capsule with his mouth hanging open in shock. He asked, "Are you Beetlejuice?" The ghost nodded. "Does he look like this usually?" Dr. Notrub asked Lydia. "No. He's never looked like this before. We've got to help him," said Lydia urgently.  
  
Dr. Notrub picked up the hat rack. "Stand back!" he ordered as he swung the hat rack and slammed it against the capsule. The glass shattered leaving a gaping hole in the capsule. Lydia carefully reached in and pulled out her ghost friend.  
  
"Beetlejuice, where is Dr. Grim?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He drained my powers and used them to take himself to the Neitherworld. We've got to stop him. He's going to enslave the entire Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Save your strength, Beetlejuice. Lydia, you told me you could go to the Neitherworld by calling Beetlejuice's name three times. We have to get there, stop Dr. Grim and get Beetlejuice's powers back," stated Dr. Notrub. "No! Lydia's ability to go to the Neitherworld is connected with my powers. There's a chance it might not work and I might become fully exorcised if I try to use what energy I have left," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"Then we're stuck and everyone in the Neitherworld is doomed to an afterlife of slavery. Isn't there any other way to get there? Besides dying, of course," said Dr. Notrub. "Well, there could be one way I could use my powers and get us to the Neitherworld without becoming exorcised," said Beetlejuice as he coughed. "How Beetlejuice? If there is, tell us!" urged Lydia.  
  
"If I possess someone, I could tap into the spiritual energy to keep myself from being exorcised. But it might still not work since my powers are weakened," said Beetlejuice. "We'll have to chance it. And if you need a body to possess, use mine," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"What? But Dr. Notrub, you hardly know Beetlejuice and you wouldn't know what it'd be like sharing a body with him," said Lydia. "I do know this much. I see that he is your best friend and I'm willing to do anything to help him. Come on, Beetlejuice. Enter my body," said Dr. Notrub as he held his hand out.  
  
"Thanks, Dr. Notrub. I can see why you're Lydia's favorite teacher," said Beetlejuice smiling as reached his hand out and touched Dr. Notrub's palm. A glowing light surrounded them both as Beetlejuice turned into a white vapor and entered into Dr. Notrub's mouth. Then the glowing stopped and Dr. Notrub just stood there with a confused look on his face. "Beetlejuice, are you all right?" asked Lydia.  
  
Suddenly Dr. Notrub's brown eyes changed to Beetlejuice's green eyes. "I think so, Lydia. I'm feeling a lot better in here," said Beetlejuice's voice from Dr. Notrub's mouth. Then Dr. Notrub's eyes went back to normal and he started speaking in his own voice. "This is my first paranormal experience and I'm loving it!" he exclaimed. Then his eyes changed again. "Glad you're enjoying it, doc. I just hope we can get my powers before the possession time limit is over," said Beetlejuice's voice. "There's a possession time limit?" said Dr. Notrub taking control again.  
  
"Yes. If I stay in for too long, there's a chance that your body could become my permanent home and you would cease to exist. It's a Neitherworld law," said Beetlejuice. "Then let's get to the Neitherworld and get your powers back. My spiritual energy will keep you alive, so to speak. Lydia, say the words," said Dr. Notrub as he picked up his suitcase. Lydia nodded and uttered, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" In a flash of light, the girl and the man with the ghost in his body vanished.  
  
In a moment, Lydia and Dr. Notrub were standing in the midst of a pile of debris. "Oh my gosh! The Roadhouse!" yelled Beetlejuice's voice from within Dr. Notrub. Lydia looked in horror at the debris. It seemed to be the remains of a house.  
  
Dr. Notrub was staring in wonder at the surroundings. The sky was a mixture of orange and red. The land looked like a floating slab of rock that constantly twisted and turned at strange angles. Looking over the edge, Dr. Notrub saw a bottomless void.  
  
"This is the Neitherworld?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yep. This is where I live. Where we're standing is the remains of my Roadhouse. Obviously, Dr. Grim appeared with his machine on this very spot," answered Beetlejuice. "I must admit that this isn't exactly what I expected the Neitherworld to be. I expected it to be something a little darker," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Jacques! Ginger!" called Lydia. "Lydia, what happened to your clothes?" asked Dr. Notrub. He had just noticed that Lydia was now wearing a black leotard covered by red spider web patterned poncho. "These are the clothes that I end up wearing whenever I enter into the Neitherworld," replied Lydia. "And who are Jacques and Ginger?" Dr. Notrub asked. "Jacques is a weightlifting skeleton and Ginger is a tap dancing spider. They're Beetlejuice's roommates," said Lydia.  
  
Then she turned and ran over the debris onto the stone street. She ran in the direction toward a large cow skull. Dr. Notrub followed her. But he stopped short as he noticed the road. There were long trails of tread marks leading toward a city full of crooked buildings. Lydia ran over to them. "The Monster Across the Street and Poopsie are gone too," said Lydia sadly. "Dr. Grim must've captured them when he first arrived here," said Beetlejuice.  
  
"Wait a minute. Back up for a moment. Are you saying that there's more than just dead beings in this world?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes. There are living creatures here too. But they are all different kinds of monsters and creepy creatures," said Lydia. "So this place is more than just a spirit world. It's a parallel universe where the impossible becomes possible and the unusual is common. No wonder Dr. Grim wanted to come here. In this world, there are creatures that no army in the Outerworld could be prepared for. Invincible ghosts and ferocious monsters would make the perfect army for world domination. We must stop him. Let's follow the tank treads. I'm sure we'll find Dr. Grim this way," said Dr. Notrub. They both rushed up the road following the tank treads. They only hoped that they could get Beetlejuice's powers before it was too late. 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
In the city, citizens of the Neitherworld were all going about their business just like any normal city. Only in normal cities, the citizens aren't ghosts and monsters. But in the Neitherworld, unusual things are abundant. A werewolf was pushing an Eyes Scream cart that contained several screaming, eyeball creatures. A woman with pale green skin was selling dead flowers.  
  
Suddenly, the citizens felt the ground rumble slightly. Then loud dance music blared from out of nowhere. The citizens looked down the street toward a bend and saw an unusual sight. Mecha-Reaper was marching toward them twirling his scythe like a baton twirler. Then, rounding the bend came the U.G.C.V with Dr. Grim behind the controls. The front part had opened up to reveal a blue glowing opening. He wore his maniacal grin on his face. Marching alongside the U.G.C.V were the Zombots.  
  
Dr. Grim picked up a microphone that amplified his voice through a loudspeaker on his vehicle. "Mecha-Reaper, Zombots, its party time!" he announced. "Party! Party!" chanted the Zombots. The Zombots ran into buildings ready to capture any ghost, ghoul or monster within them. Mecha- Reaper strode up to a nearby vampire. He shocked him with his scythe, picked him up, and tossed him into the blue opening.  
  
Dr. Grim cackled madly. "Things are going exactly the way I planned. I didn't expect the Neitherworld to have such a variety of creatures. What an army I'll have!" he laughed.  
  
Through the windows of the buildings, the Zombots blasted through on jets that were built into their feet. Each of them was carrying some sort of unconscious Neitherworld creature. They flew down to the U.G.C.V and dropped them into the opening. The opening was the entrance to Dr. Grim's giant containment unit where the creatures were broken down into a gelatinous ooze-like substance for storage. Dr. Grim had plenty of room for a lot of creatures.  
  
"I think we need more Zombots out here," said Dr. Grim as he pushed a button. Flaps opened up near the bottom of the cubic trailer in the back and several mechanical body parts spilled out. The parts started to move on their own and piece themselves together into more Zombots. They immediately started chasing after the creatures.  
  
Dr. Grim danced to the beat of the music. He'd never had this much fun. Then he spoke through his loudspeaker. "Mecha-Reaper!" he yelled. Mecha-Reaper had just hooked a purple ghoul with his scythe, grabbed him, and tossed him over his shoulder toward the opening. "Yes, Master?" he responded. "We're making good progress. But I think we should find some place to set up a headquarters. I can do some research on how to control these creatures while you and the Zombots scourge the entire Neitherworld. Toss someone up here so I may inquire about an ideal place," said Dr. Grim.  
  
Mecha-Reaper hooked a nearby zombie and held him to his shrouded face. "My master wishes to speak to you," he said as he carried his captive to the U.G.C.V. and climbed up to Dr. Grim.  
  
"Pardon me, my good uh. man, but would you know of a good place for me and my colleagues to set up headquarters? We'd prefer some place big and roomy," said Dr. Grim. "Well, there is the castle of Prince Vince. It's roomy," said the zombie in a shaky voice. He was obviously frightened of this horrible human who was bringing terror to the Neitherworld. "Thank you. Now would you have a map?" he asked. The zombie reached into the pocket of his ragged pants and took out a map, which he handed to Dr. Grim.  
  
"Thank you. Because you helped me, I'm going to let you go," said Dr. Grim. "You are?" asked the zombie feeling relieved. "Yes. Into my containment unit!" exclaimed Dr. Grim as he laughed manically. Mecha- Reaper tossed the zombie into the opening as Dr. Grim opened the map. "Mecha-Reaper, we are setting a course for this castle. On the way, let's draft a few more ghouls. We can never have too many in this invincible army," he said as they continued down the streets of the Neitherworld.  
  
Later, Lydia and Dr. Notrub entered into the city. "I've never seen a Neitherworld street this empty before," said Lydia growing more worried. "There's never been giant tank treads from a horrible machine designed to catch ghosts," said Beetlejuice's voice from Dr. Notrub's body. "Where could Dr. Grim be heading? We have to find him and quickly. I'm starting to feel a little funny. I think I'm starting to vanish," said Dr. Notrub regaining control. "Perhaps I could be of some assistance," said a voice from up above.  
  
Lydia and Dr. Notrub looked up and saw a flying creature coming down. It landed in front of them. It was a living gargoyle made out of white marble. He had clawed hands and feet. Sharp fangs protruded from the mouth of his horned head. A pair of wings was on his back. He was wearing clothing similar to that of a mobster.  
  
"Where did you come from?" asked Lydia. "From up there," said the gargoyle pointing to a rooftop of one the buildings. "The name's Rocky. I'm a member of the Morbid Marble Mob. It's an organization of gargoyle gangsters who run this neighborhood. From the sound of that voice coming from within you, I assume that you are harboring Beetlejuice, the Neitherworld's most bothersome ghost," he said to Dr. Notrub. "Yes. It's me in here. Now you said you can help us," said Beetlejuice's voice.  
  
"Hold on for a second, Beetlejuice. Why do you want to help us?" asked Dr. Notrub. "The boss don't like what those creeps have done to our neighborhood. And he ain't happy with you either. He blames you because he thought you brought that creepy human into the Neitherworld since you're the only one who has the powers to do it," said Rocky. "For once, I'm not behind this. He stole my powers and used them to come here," said Beetlejuice. "Now I may be able to clear this up with the boss. But only if you get rid of that creep who has been kidnapping the creatures," said Rocky.  
  
"You got it, stone dude. Now will you tell us where that guy went?" asked Beetlejuice. "I overheard him talking about going to Prince Vince's castle to set up a headquarters. Now I expect you'll get rid of him as soon as possible," said Rocky. "Don't worry. Once I get my powers back, I'm going to juice him really bad for what he did to me," said Beetlejuice. "See that you do or else." stopped Rocky as a Zombot dropped out of the sky onto him.  
  
Lydia screamed, as did Beetlejuice's voice. "What is that thing?" asked Dr. Notrub's voice. But Beetlejuice had taken control of Dr. Notrub's body and started to run alongside Lydia just as more Zombots pounced on Rocky. Two of them started to chase after the duo. "Those things are robots that Dr. Grim created to hunt ghosts," said Beetlejuice's voice as they ran.  
  
"So they're machines. Let me take control for now, Beetlejuice. Lydia, we have to use the Fear Inducing Rays. Even though those things are machines, the F.I.R. will scramble their circuits," said Dr. Notrub as he pulled his F.I.R. pistol out of his pocket. Lydia pulled hers out. "Let's hope these work. You did say that these haven't been fully tested yet," said Lydia. "Just aim and squeeze the trigger," instructed Dr. Notrub as he aimed the pistol at a Zombot and squeezed the trigger. A beam of green light emitted from the pistol and contacted one of the Zombots.  
  
The Zombot stopped running and started to shake violently as it fell apart. Its companion took a giant leap at Lydia. Lydia jumped backward and fired her pistol. The moment the beam hit the Zombot; it fell onto the ground and shattered into its separate parts. "Wow! I didn't know my F.I.R. was that powerful," said an astonished Dr. Notrub. "Nice gadget you have there, doc. But Dr. Grim mentioned that these robots can repair themselves," said Beetlejuice. "Are you serious?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Dead serious," replied Beetlejuice.  
  
Lydia and Dr. Notrub stared at the Zombot pieces. They were starting to wriggle around and attach to one another until the pair of Zombots stood up once again. "Blast them again, Lydia! The F.I.R. must disrupt their systems so they fall apart," commanded Dr. Notrub. Lydia followed the doctor's instructions and fired the pistol again. Dr. Notrub did the same. Soon, the Zombots had shaken themselves to pieces again.  
  
"Did Dr. Grim mention how they are able to reassemble themselves, Beetlejuice?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He mentioned something about a device hidden in their parts that sends out some sort of signal to the other parts and they reassemble themselves," replied Beetlejuice. "We must destroy those devices by smashing their parts physically," stated Dr. Notrub as he rushed toward the wriggling parts and stomped on a head. The head broke apart. But the remaining parts continued to wriggle.  
  
"The device must not be in the head. It must be in another part. Good thing these parts are very fragile," observed Dr. Notrub as he stomped on a leg. Lydia joined him in the destruction of the Zombot parts until all of them had stopped moving. "The parts of this robot stopped when I destroyed one of the arms," said Dr. Notrub. "That's funny because when I stomped on one of the legs belonging to the other, they stopped," said Lydia. "Dr. Grim must've built these things with the reassembling devices in different places for each of them," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"We've got to hurry. We've got to get to Prince Vince's castle and get my powers back," said Beetlejuice. "I know the way," said Lydia as she ran off in one direction. Dr. Notrub ran after her. 


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Much later, Lydia and Dr. Notrub were hiding behind a large tree looking around the side. In front of them was a very unusual castle situated on a small island surrounded by a moat of slime. It was made of black stone and its towers were drooping.  
  
A pair of Zombots was guarding the large door. The sky was filled with flying Zombots each carrying some kind of creature it had caught. They were flying around to the back of the castle. "Judging from where those robots are flying, Dr. Grim's ghost catching vehicle must be at the back," said Beetlejuice's voice.  
  
"Why are those towers drooping?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Prince Vince is one of the most depressed people in the Neitherworld. But he is a very good friend of ours," said Lydia. "No doubt that he and his entire court have become captives of Dr. Grim. Let's go save him," said Beetlejuice as he leapt forward ready to charge the castle. But then Dr. Notrub regained control of his body and pulled himself back behind the tree.  
  
"Hold it, Beetlejuice. Who knows how many of those mechanical zombies are there? You don't have your powers and the only weapons we have are two F.I.R. pistols. Let's work out a plan of attack first and then we'll take on Dr. Grim," said Dr. Notrub. Lydia moved in closer as Dr. Notrub worked out their plan.  
  
Meanwhile, inside the castle, Dr. Grim was sitting on a throne in the middle of a hallway that was as big as a gymnasium. He was writing down some notes and figuring out how to control his new army. "With my machines back home, I suppose I can manipulate Beetlejuice's power into something that can control the creatures. Perhaps if I study the components of the energy, I might be able to do it," said Dr. Grim as he scribbled down some notes.  
  
Then Mecha-Reaper strolled into the hallway from the back. "Master, I have some news for you," he said. "This better be important, Mecha- Reaper. I'm busy here," said Dr. Grim with an annoyed sigh. "Well, for starters, the Zombots and I have rounded up some pretty impressive monsters. But we ran into a bit of trouble," said Mecha-Reaper. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?" asked Dr. Grim not even looking at his mechanical servant and continuing to write down on his notepad.  
  
"Well, we ran into some problems in the lower depths of the Neitherworld. We found some really fierce creatures. They really caused major casualties of Zombots," said Mecha-Reaper with a bit of nervousness in his voice. "Spare me the details. Did you manage to capture any of them?" asked Dr. Grim. "Yes, we captured a good sample of this monster population. But I think that they might be too fierce for you to handle," said Mecha-Reaper.  
  
Dr. Grim threw down his notepad, stood up, and glared at Mecha-Reaper angrily. "Don't tell me what I am not able to do! I'll find a way to control every creature that we have caught. In regards to these monsters, I say the fiercer, the better. Now is there anything else you want to bother me with?" asked Dr. Grim as he returned to sitting on the throne.  
  
"Well, the Zombots said they had seen that girl who was with the ghost as well as the man she brought to help," said Mecha-Reaper nervously. Dr. Grim's eyes opened wide. "What? You mean to tell me that ghost got out and brought his friends here to stop me?" asked Dr. Grim who was getting angrier by the minute. "Uh yes. They said that the ghost was talking from within the man's body," said Mecha-Reaper. "So that ghost has possessed someone to bring himself to the Neitherworld. I knew I should have drained him more. Send the Zombots out to find them and bring them to me," ordered Dr. Grim. "Too late, Dr. Grim!" yelled a gruff voice.  
  
Dr. Grim wrenched his head around and looked in the direction of the doorway. There stood Lydia and Dr. Notrub with angry looks on their faces. "Dr. Grim, you kidnap me, you have your Grim Reaper robot threaten Lydia, you steal my powers, and worst of all, you tear the Neitherworld apart and imprison the good citizens. Well, when you mess with my home world, you mess with me, the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice!" stated Beetlejuice's voice from Dr. Notrub's body. "And I cannot forgive you for what you did to Beetlejuice. Now you face the creepiest girl in both worlds, Lydia Deetz," said Lydia with anger in her voice. "You are sick, Dr. Grim. Hurting innocent ghosts for your experiments and plotting to take over the world using ghosts as your slaves. When you hurt the supernatural and don't let them rest in peace, you anger the paranormalist extraordinaire, Dr. Matthew Vincent Notrub," said Dr. Notrub as he regained control of his body.  
  
"Notrub? By any chance would you be related to Dr. Vincent Lee Notrub?" asked Dr. Grim as a look of anger crossed his face. "He was my father," said Dr. Notrub. "Your father ruined me! He convinced those directors to refuse my proposal," said Dr. Grim who was growing angrier. "I can see why his father did it. He saw how truly mad you are. Now return my powers now!" demanded Beetlejuice. "Never! Zombots! Destroy the girl and the man!" commanded Dr. Grim.  
  
A multitude of Zombots stepped out of the shadows and charged toward the duo. Dr. Notrub suddenly leapt up and kicked off the head of one of the Zombots. "Wow! How did I do that?" he asked. "Courtesy of me, doc," said Beetlejuice's voice. Dr. Notrub quickly drew out his F.I.R. and blasted several lunging Zombots. The Zombots collapsed to the floor and broke apart. "Let's get stomping!" yelled Beetlejuice as Dr. Notrub started to crush several Zombot parts under his foot.  
  
At the same time, Lydia reached out and grabbed an arm from a Zombot. She swung it around and let it go. It collided right into another Zombot and it broke apart. "Guess those self defense classes really paid off," chuckled Lydia as she pulled out the F.I.R. and fired it at other Zombots causing them to shake to pieces. Then she smashed several parts with her feet. Soon, Dr. Notrub and Lydia had destroyed all the Zombots. The pieces were lying scattered throughout the hallway as Dr. Grim gazed in shock at what had happened to his army.  
  
"Really pathetic army you have, Dr. Grim," said Dr. Notrub with a chuckle. "Shall I take care of them, Master?" asked Mecha-Reaper. "No, I have better idea. Run!" exclaimed Dr. Grim as he took off to the back end of the hall. Mecha-Reaper ran after him. "After him! We can't let him get away!" yelled Lydia as she and Dr. Notrub ran after the evil doctor and his mechanical assistant.  
  
In the back end of the castle, Dr. Grim wrenched open the back door to a small courtyard where the U.G.C.V. was parked. "Get on and fire it up, Mecha-Reaper!" commanded Dr. Grim. "I don't get this plan, Master," said Mecha-Reaper puzzled as he climbed up to the control panel. "I'll tell you what we're going to do. We're going back to the Outerworld and leave that ghost, his girlfriend, and Dr. Notrub stranded here in the Neitherworld. Then there will be no way they can stop us," said Dr. Grim as he climbed up. "Good idea Master," said Mecha-Reaper as he pressed several sequences of buttons to start it up.  
  
From behind the U.G.C.V., the back door opened and Lydia and Dr. Notrub stepped outside. Luckily, Dr. Grim and Mecha-Reaper hadn't seen them. "What are they doing?" asked Lydia. "They're trying to escape and leave us stranded. Quick! We must make contact with that vehicle before it vanishes back to our world," said Dr. Notrub as he and Lydia rushed toward the back of the vehicle. They held on just as the vehicle started to glow with the white light.  
  
From the front, they heard Dr. Grim talking. "Time to say the password again to get us home. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" he stated. Then the vehicle vanished in a flash of light. Unbeknownst to the evil doctor, he had taken along three unexpected passengers. 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
In seconds, the U.G.C.V. reappeared in Dr. Grim's laboratory. "Ha ha! We did it! We went to the Neitherworld and came back with enough monsters to make an army. And best of all, we left Beetlejuice and his friends stranded there," said Dr. Grim gleefully as he climbed down to the ground. "Think again, skeleton man!" yelled Beetlejuice's voice.  
  
"Huh?" said Dr. Grim as he turned around and saw Dr. Notrub and Lydia coming from behind the U.G.C.V. Dr. Grim yelled in frustration. He would have started to tear out his hair if he had any. "You are all getting to be thorns in my sides. That's it! You're not leaving this lair alive! Except for the ghost. I'll somehow extract him out of Dr. Notrub's body and drain him completely," stated Dr. Grim.  
  
"What are you going to do? You left your Zombot army in the Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice with a cackle. "And it might be too risky to try and send the Neitherworld creatures on us. They might turn on you and tear you limb from limb," said Dr. Notrub with a sassy voice. "I can always construct more Zombots and I'll eventually find a way to control those creatures. But I don't need them right now because I've got my ultimate ghost hunter. Mecha-Reaper, shift to hyper battle mode and destroy them!" commanded Dr. Grim.  
  
Mecha-Reaper stepped forward brandishing his scythe. "I've been wanting to try this for a long time. Initiate hyper battle mode!" yelled Mecha-Reaper. Then his red eyes glowed even brighter. And for that matter, so did his face. His face was horrifying. It was the face of a skull glowing bright red. Mecha-Reaper took his free hand and grabbed the top of his hood. He pulled it off to reveal what he was keeping hidden under his cloak. He looked like a black skeleton that was held together with glowing red muscles. His fingers and toes started to sprout sharp, curved claws. His arms and legs grew longer. His bat wings sprouted out of his back. Curved horns sprouted from the top of his skull.  
  
Lydia and Dr. Notrub screamed in fear as Mecha-Reaper yelled a horrible battle cry. Then he charged toward the duo swinging his scythe. "Split up!" yelled Dr. Notrub as he leapt to the left behind the U.G.C.V. Lydia leapt to the right just as Mecha-Reaper slammed his scythe down. "You missed! Get the girl first! She seems to be very precious to the ghost," commanded Dr. Grim. "Yes, Master," said Mecha-Reaper as he turned his attention to Lydia.  
  
"Lydia!" yelled Beetlejuice's voice. Then Dr. Notrub called to her, "Lydia, use the F.I.R.! Maybe it will have the same effect on Mecha-Reaper that it did on the Zombots." Lydia pulled out her F.I.R. and fired it at Mecha-Reaper. The beam hit the mechanical monstrosity and he started to shake and quiver. But a few seconds later, he stopped. "That was a strange feeling. But I'm afraid it wasn't too effective, was it?" roared Mecha-Reaper as he used his free hand and swatted the pistol out of Lydia's hand.  
  
"Run!" yelled Beetlejuice. Lydia ran from Mecha-Reaper as he swung his scythe as her. Dr. Notrub tried to run to help. But Beetlejuice within his body held him back. "I can help Lydia if I can get my powers back and we have an opportunity to get them back," said Beetlejuice's voice. "Where did Dr. Grim put them?" asked Dr. Notrub. "They're in a generator that's on the front of this vehicle. We must do it now while Dr. Grim and Mecha-Reaper are distracted and we must hurry," said Beetlejuice as he took control of Dr. Notrub's body and ran to the front of the U.G.C.V. Dr. Grim had his back to them so he didn't see them. He was too busy cheering on his servant.  
  
Dr. Notrub gazed at the glass orb that glowed with black and white light. "How are we going to get your powers back into you?" asked Dr. Notrub. "I think if I touch the generator, I can absorb them back," said Beetlejuice. "I hope you're right about this," said Dr. Notrub as he raised his hand and touched the orb. Then he started to scream and shake like he was being electrocuted. The power surged through his body.  
  
"Get away from that!" yelled Dr. Grim. He had heard Dr. Notrub scream and turned around. He tackled him and pushed him away from the generator. Dr. Notrub landed on his back and slid across the floor. He collided with the wall and groaned in pain. But he was still alive.  
  
Dr. Grim tapped his walking stick on the ground and a sharp blade poked out of the end. "I shall enjoy ending your life quickly, Dr. Notrub. This will be revenge for what your father did to me," said Dr. Grim as he advanced toward the good doctor with his blade pointed toward him.  
  
Then Dr. Notrub's mouth opened wide. "I see you're already ready to scream in intense pain. I won't keep you waiting," chuckled Dr. Grim. But instead of screaming, a white mist emitted from Dr. Notrub's mouth. It started to take shape and Dr. Grim stopped in his tracks. His face wrenched in fear as he saw what he was facing. From the mist came a gruff voice saying, "It's show time!"  
  
At the same time, Mecha-Reaper was standing over Lydia laughing maniacally. "You and that ghost are about to be hanging around together a lot more. In the afterlife!" cackled Mecha-Reaper as he raised his scythe. Lydia covered her eyes and waited for the impact of the blade.  
  
Suddenly, Dr. Grim came sailing through the air across the lab and hit the floor hard. Mecha-Reaper looked in the direction at where he had fallen. "Master?" he asked.  
  
"LEAVE HER ALONE, REAPER!" a familiar voice boomed throughout the lair. Rising into the air from behind the U.G.C.V was Beetlejuice. He had fire in his eyes. Literally. Flames danced around in his green eyes.  
  
"Beetlejuice! You're back to normal!" exclaimed Lydia with joy. "The ghost with the most is back in business, Babes. And I feel like crushing a certain evil machine," said Beetlejuice as he cracked his knuckles. "I beat you once! I can do it again!" yelled Mecha-Reaper as he leapt into the air.  
  
"That was then. Now I know what I'm up against so I can have a ton of fun cleaning your clock," said Beetlejuice as a black and white striped grandfather clock with a sign on it saying 'Mecha-Reaper's' appeared next to him. Beetlejuice pulled a feather duster from out of nowhere and started dusting the clock. Then he picked it up. "Time flies when I'm having fun!" cackled Beetlejuice as he threw the clock at Mecha-Reaper. The clock hit Mecha-Reaper right in the head and he fell to the floor.  
  
"Way to go, Beetlejuice! That's giving him what he deserves. Now turn up the juice and really let him have it!" cheered Lydia.  
  
Beetlejuice knew just what to do. He floated to the ground in front of Mecha-Reaper. Then he started to change into a favorite form of his. The top of his head changed into an umbrella shape. Little ghoulish mobile figures dangled from it as it started to twirl like a merry-go-round. Beetlejuice's arms started to stretch and his hands turned into mallet heads. He lifted one of his arms and brought it down hard on Mecha-Reaper. Then he used his other arm and sideswiped Mecha-Reaper across the floor.  
  
"Now for a double slam," said Beetlejuice as he raised both his hands. A tall, ring-the-bell carnival game rose up behind Mecha-Reaper. But just before Beetlejuice brought down the powerful blow, he suddenly stopped and changed back to his regular form. He looked rather tired.  
  
"Beetlejuice, what's wrong?" asked Lydia. "Obviously, my powers aren't back one hundred percent. Dr. Grim interfered before I could absorb the whole of my powers," said Beetlejuice. "Well, isn't that too bad?" said Mecha-Reaper as he got up and swung his scythe at the ghost. Beetlejuice backed away.  
  
"Your little tricks didn't hurt me. I'm not programmed to feel pain," said Mecha-Reaper as he struck at Beetlejuice again. Beetlejuice backed up against the U.G.C.V. with Mecha-Reaper.  
  
"Prepare to experience the feeling of a painful death. The worst part about it is that you're already dead so the pain will linger!" laughed Mecha-Reaper as he prepared to deliver the blow with his scythe. But just before the blade made contact with Beetlejuice, Dr. Notrub rushed in and pushed Beetlejuice out of the way. The both rolled away while Mecha- Reaper's scythe embedded itself in the side of the U.G.C.V.  
  
"Thanks doc," said Beetlejuice getting up and helping Dr. Notrub to his feet. "Don't mention it, Beetlejuice," said Dr. Notrub. Then they heard a voice say, "Oh my aching noggin." They turned and saw Dr. Grim raising up and rubbing his head. "What happened?" he asked. Then he saw Mecha-Reaper pull his scythe out of the side of U.G.C.V. "Mecha-Reaper, you fool! You've broken the containment unit! Patch it up now!" yelled Dr. Grim angrily.  
  
But it was too late. A blob of blue slime oozed out of the crack and landed on the floor. Mecha-Reaper quickly pressed a button on his scythe and a small welding flame ignited at the top of his scythe. He used it to seal the crack before anymore slime leaked out. In the meantime, the blob of slime started to grow bigger.  
  
"Terrific! Now one of the creatures I've captured has gotten loose. My technology broke it down into gelatinous ooze and my containment beams kept it that way. Now that it's loose, it's resuming its normal form," said Dr. Grim angrily. "Ah stuff a sock in it, Grim," said Beetlejuice as he snapped his fingers. A bad smelling striped sock appeared in Dr. Grim's mouth that he promptly spat out. "How bad could it be? I'm sure whatever it is will be glad to kick your butt," continued Beetlejuice as he, Lydia, and Dr. Notrub watched the blob grow.  
  
The blob started to grow even bigger and take shape. The color changed from blue to black and white stripes. The blob grew longer and bigger. Suddenly, Beetlejuice's expression changed from his smirk to pure fear. Then the blob stopped changing.  
  
It had taken the form of a giant black and white striped snakelike worm with red eyes and sharp teeth. Its mouth opened and a smaller white head with yellow eyes emerged with a loud roar. "Sandworm!" yelled Beetlejuice in panic.  
  
"What kind of creature is this, Mecha-Reaper?" asked Dr. Grim who was expressing an equal amount of fright. "This is one of those fierce monsters that we found in the lower depths of the Neitherworld I was trying to tell you about," replied Mecha-Reaper backing away from the sandworm.  
  
The sandworm proceeded to attack. It lunged at Beetlejuice and his friends. They quickly ran out of the way. The sandworm swung its tail destroying everything it hit. "Mecha-Reaper, do something! It's destroying my laboratory!" yelled Dr. Grim. Mecha-Reaper lunged at the rampaging sandworm and swung his scythe at it. He missed and the sandworm grabbed the scythe with its teeth. It swung Mecha-Reaper around and let it go. Mecha-Reaper slammed into the wall. "Mecha-Reaper, no matter what, save the generator!" yelled Dr. Grim.  
  
"Beetlejuice, you have to do something," said Dr. Notrub. But Beetlejuice just cowered on the ground. "It's no use. When there are sandworms around, Beetlejuice gets too scared to use his powers. Sandworms are the only thing in the Neitherworld that scares him," said Lydia. "Then we'll just have to escape. Head for the elevator!" commanded Dr. Notrub. Lydia grabbed Beetlejuice's hand and pulled him in the direction of the elevator with Dr. Notrub running with them. The sandworm had its attention toward Dr. Grim and Mecha-Reaper who struggled to detach the generator from the U.G.C.V.  
  
"Wait! We didn't get all of Beetlejuice's power back," said Lydia. "It'll have to wait, babes. It's best that the three of us get away with two lives and one afterlife," said Beetlejuice. They gathered into the elevator while Dr. Notrub tinkered with the circuit board to make it go up.  
  
"Just get me and the generator into a safe place and then take care of this monster!" yelled Dr. Grim at Mecha-Reaper. The sandworm momentarily turned to the three in the elevator and lunged at them. Beetlejuice screamed just as the elevator doors closed. The sandworm's teeth left marks in the door as the elevator rose up. The trio sighed with relief.  
  
Once the elevator had stopped and the doors had opened, the three of them rushed down the hill toward Dr. Notrub's hearse. They all got in and Dr. Notrub started it up and stepped on the gas. The hearse sped off into the night. 


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
After a short drive, the hearse pulled into the backyard of 1313 Poe Lane. Beetlejuice, Lydia and Dr. Notrub got out and headed for the door. They walked into the house and stopped in the main foyer.  
  
"Thanks for coming for me, Lydia," said Beetlejuice. "What are best friends for?" asked Lydia as she hugged Beetlejuice tightly. "And thank you, Dr. Notrub. Without you, I could never have prevented myself from being exorcised," said Beetlejuice extending his hand. Dr. Notrub took it and shook it warmly.  
  
"You are very welcome, Beetlejuice. I'm glad to finally meet a ghost. But even though we survived and slowed down Dr. Grim's plan, it was still a hollow victory. We didn't get your powers back fully and Dr. Grim still has many citizens of the Neitherworld imprisoned. If he and Mecha- Reaper survived that sandworm's attack, they could use them to attack the world and nobody will believe us," stated Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Then what are we going to do?" asked Lydia. "The only thing we can do is to take matters into our own hands. We may be the only hope for the world now. We must stop Dr. Grim once and for all with our own technology," said Dr. Notrub. "And how do you propose we do that?" asked Lydia.  
  
Dr. Notrub reached into his lab coat and pulled out a rolled-up sheet of paper. "These are Dr. Grim's plans to his ghost catching vehicle. I swiped them before I saved Beetlejuice's neck. I'll see if I can build a device that's a little more humane. If Dr. Grim unleashes the creatures into the Outerworld, we'll recapture them and send them back to the Neitherworld where they belong. I'll also design other devices to help us," stated Dr. Grim.  
  
"So we'll be like a team of superheroes, right?" asked Beetlejuice. "No, not superheroes, Beetlejuice. More like Spooky Heroes!" exclaimed Dr. Notrub. "Deadly vu!" exclaimed Lydia.  
  
"But for now, let's get some sleep. It's been a rough night," said Dr. Notrub. "Good idea, Dr. Notrub. Goodnight guys," said Lydia as she walked upstairs. Beetlejuice and Dr. Notrub remained in the hallway.  
  
"Doc, I've got a problem. Where am I going to stay? My Roadhouse has been destroyed and I can't show my face into the Neitherworld. You heard what Rocky the gargoyle said. Everyone's going to blame me for what Dr. Grim did to the Neitherworld. And for once, I didn't do anything wrong," said Beetlejuice. "Then don't go back to the Neitherworld. You can stay here with Lydia and me. I think she would want to have her best friend close seeing as how she almost lost you tonight. And having a real ghost in my mansion would make me really happy because I always wanted to live in a genuine haunted house," said Dr. Notrub. "I can? Thanks doc. It looks like a whole new chapter has started in my afterlife. I've got a new friend and finally a purpose to my afterlife," said Beetlejuice with a grin.  
  
"Glad to hear it, Beetlejuice. Now go and settle yourself in one of the rooms upstairs. I've got a lot to think about tomorrow. Good thing it's the weekend tomorrow so I don't have to teach tomorrow. But there is one thing that concerns me. Dr. Grim used your powers through a machine to go to the Neitherworld. That's very different from the way you and Lydia cross between the worlds. Who knows what kind of effect it would have on other worlds if such worlds exist? Perhaps the balance would be disrupted," said Dr. Notrub.  
  
"Calm down, doc. Just go down to your lab and get some sleep. You can think about this tomorrow," said Beetlejuice. "You're right. Goodnight Beetlejuice," said Dr. Notrub as he headed for the downward stairs. "Goodnight, doc," said Beetlejuice as he floated up the upward stairs.  
  
"Oh! Beetlejuice?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes?" Beetlejuice responded. "You've got to tell Lydia," said Dr. Notrub. "Huh?" said Beetlejuice confused. "Don't play dumb with me. We shared a body temporarily so our minds converged. You've got to tell Lydia how you feel," said Dr. Notrub. "Maybe. Someday, I will. But not right now. Maybe after this whole Dr. Grim fiasco is settled, I'll tell her," said Beetlejuice turning away from Dr. Notrub as to hide his expression. "Okay. Goodnight," said Dr. Notrub as he walked down the stairs. Beetlejuice floated up towards the second floor. They were all tired and it had been one strange night.  
  
Meanwhile, in Dr. Grim's lair, the place was in ruins. Dr. Grim stepped out and gazed angrily at the damage that had befallen his lair. Mecha-Reaper had various bite marks on his body and his scythe was all chewed up.  
  
"Uh Master? I know the lair was destroyed. But at least I got that sandworm back in the containment unit and we saved the generator," said Mecha-Reaper with a nervous chuckle.  
  
"Yes. This is a minor setback. But we must leave. Beetlejuice and his comrades know where we are. I must set up a new lab. Beetlejuice may have gotten some of his powers back. But I still have the majority. Even so, it is not enough to make a return trip to the Neitherworld. But it does not matter. We have enough creatures to make an army. Start packing up. We'll go into Sleepy Hollow and find a place to set up headquarters. Then burn this place to the ground," said Dr. Grim. "Yes, Master," said Mecha-Reaper as he donned his cloak and started to pack up the machinery.  
  
"I will put my plans for world domination into action just as soon as I can find a way to control my captives. But first, I'll make Beetlejuice, the girl, and Dr. Notrub pay for this humiliation. They will suffer for this destruction!" yelled Dr. Grim as he laughed his maniacal laugh that echoed throughout the destroyed lair.  
  
On the outskirts of Sleepy Hollow, in the darkness of the Western Woods, a figure moved through the darkness. The figure was very thin and had very long legs and arms. He was careful to stay out of sight as he darted behind tree after tree and looked at the town in front of him. He gazed at the normal looking town. Well, he would if he had eyes. He just had empty sockets in his skinless head. Two words escaped from his mouth. "What's this?"  
  
The End.or is it?  
  
Author's Note: So what do you think about this story? Any guesses on who this mysterious figure is? All will be revealed in the next Spooky Heroes story Monster Motor Mania. 


End file.
